Ruben prefers a bolder selfie wall: “I see a lot of hotels and restaurants leaning toward eye-catching installations that guests use to memorialize a visit on social media. There’s lots of catchy phrases in neon, heavy patterns in wallpapers, and big bold colorways these days. It’s all super fun for the guest that wants to share their visit and, in turn, great marketing for the restaurant.”

“From a business standpoint it can also be helpful for a designer to use sound design as a tool to save in more expensive areas like designer furnishing, premium finishes, or expensive artworks,” he says. “Great music can elevate any circumstance, including the $50 restaurant supply chair versus the $500 showroom one.” A restaurant can be visually appealing in the design phase, but it needs to be functional.

A good interior design can do as much for a cafe, restaurant or bar as good food, drinks and service can. We made this list of establishments to show you some of the best bar, cafe and restaurant designs in the world, and most of them have even won awards for their interiors.

How can you be sure that your restaurant is optimized for design? Interior designers weigh in on what they find restaurant owners often overlook, and provide tips so you won’t do the same.